What we've ended up with is a light-bodied, non-acrid, dark-colored 6.5% beer with plenty of hop flavor and aroma. Magnum hops contribute an elegant and refined bitterness that parallels the reduced astringency. The late boil additions of Bravo and Sterling contribute a spicy, piney flavors that stop just short of being out of proportion. Despite all the tasty hopping, Noonan's light IPA-style body makes this beer refreshing, something you don't normally find in a dark beer.

Black beer with a thin tan head. Good sticky retention left by a consistent film of retention. Kinda looks like when I mix chocolate whey protein with iced coffee.

Aroma is on par for the style but lacks chocolatey depth to take it to the next level. Pine hop aroma and wood char. There is some Nestle Quick chocolate there but not enough for my liking. Tastes like it smells.

Review from notes, on tap at the White Birch fest this past Aug. Pours a solid dark brown bordering on black with a smallish tan head that shows moderate retention and minimal lace. Smells of earth and pine, with a chocolate and caramel maltiness that does a fair job standing up to the hop onslaught. Taste is sweet caramel and a bit roasty and chocolaty behind lots of earthy pine and citrus. Medium body and carbonation level with a resinous and slightly chalky mouthfeel. I went back to this several times that night, this is a great brew, it should be a full time beer!

Appearance: Pours the darkest possible brown to black…head is a lightish khaki and maintains at a thin level…it does thicken up a bit with a couple swirls, but is meager…a very dark, dense beer, though I can see bubbles lining the bottom of the glass…(3.25/5)

Smell: Very malty with a roasted malt, brown malt and some nuttiness showing strongest…some malty earthiness and the lightest hint of citrus hops when I stick my nose in there…it’s really a mild smelling brew that doesn’t display too much complexity…there’s a touch of creaminess, caramel and maybe even some cocoa…overall though, it’s lacking…(3.25/5)

Taste: Very malty, roasted and brown malts with a mild citrus/piney lightness and mild bitterness…there is the tinniest touch of peppery bite and some light creaminess…the more I drink, the more I taste some coffee bitterness…it’s not strong, just becomes apparent as it warms…it’s a flavorful brew, but it’s not overly dynamic…the malt character is very strong, making it more like a hopped up brown/porter, than a brown IPA…with that said, the flavor is nice and has a freshness, which the hops do provide, so they’re not unnoticeable…it’s good, not great…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a very generous amount of carbonation…it fluffs up bringing a cloud of lightly roasted malt and lemon peel freshness and bitterness…malts lay heavy on the back of my tongue in the after taste, not overly bitter in the finish…flavor lasts a long time after swallowing…(3.75/5)

Overall: It’s not a bad brew by any stretch, it’s just not the brew for me…the flavor is drinkable, though I’m not sure how many of these I could have in one sitting before needing something else to lighten up my palate…from my experience, Smuttynose makes some solid ales and this is another in that long line…worth picking up and mixing in a six, I’d struggle drinking an entire sixer in a month…not bad though…(3.5/5)

Pours a pitch black color with a small, light brown head into my glass.

There's a whiff of grassy hops on the nose followed by what could count as a coffee-like roast. Hard to describe so let's taste it.

Lots of hops with some citrus/pine/grassy hop notes. It's not over-hopped. It mimics a porter due to the roasted textures.

Lingering hops and roasted malt dominate the mouthfeel.

There's just enough to keep this from being an actual porter. The hops are spot on since this is a tribute to Greg Noonan. It actually mimics Blackwatch by a bit. Otherwise, a decent example of the style! Check it out while it's still on tap!

A - This beer pours a nearly opaque dark brown color. It has a small tan head on it. The head has pretty good retention, and it leaves behind a nice sheet of lace.

S - It smells mostly of roasted malt, but there is a nice piney hop smell to it as well. There is also a bit of sweetness and some chocolate notes.

T - The taste starts off with a nice roasted malt flavor. There is some sweetness and roasted bitterness. On top of that there is also a big piney hop flavor. The hops and dark malt really blend together well here, and there is a nice balance to it. I am also getting a little bit of coffee flavor. The finish leaves a mix of roasted malt bitterness and hop bitterness lingering on the palate.

M - This has a medium body and good carbonation. It goes down easy and has a real velvety smooth quality to it. It has a nice IPA body to it, which makes it nice and refreshing. There is a bit of sweetness here, but also a nice bitter bite that lingers.

O - This has good drinkability. I could easily have a few of this in an evening. It has a big roasted malt flavor, but the body of an IPA, which is exactly how I think it should be for this style. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer, and I think it is probably my favorite Black Ale that I have tried so far. I recommend trying it.